CDP joins with other organizations to honor civil rights icon

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) joined the National Fire Administration, representatives of the City of Atlanta and several national firefighter organizations in early November to recognize civil rights pioneer Charles Person as he was ceremoniously made an honorary fire chief.

CDP Superintendent Tony Russell spoke at the event, which was conducted at Fire Station Number 6 in the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Park.

“Being a part of this historic event was really special,” said Russell, adding, “Being in Anniston (Alabama) and working with the community to bring students and visitors to the location where so much civil rights history was made is a major part of the CDP equity awareness and training experience.”

Person is one of two remaining ‘Freedom Riders’ – civil rights activists who, in 1961, took bus trips through the South to protest segregated bus terminals and bussing. Pictures of a firebombed bus, which carried members of the group, burning outside Anniston, shocked the American public and forced the federal government to take steps to ban segregation in interstate bus travel.

Person also wanted to become a firefighter. However, due to systematic inequalities at the time, he was denied that opportunity.

In addition to being promoted to fire chief, Person was presented with a fire helmet from representatives of the Black Chiefs Officers Committee. The BCOC is comprised of more than 500 black chief officers in the United States, United Kingdom, Africa and the Caribbean, who work to improve the educational and other professional development of minority fire and emergency services personnel.

Person was also presented a fire helmet by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), and it was announced that a brick honoring him will be placed on the firefighter Walk Of Honor on the grounds of FEMA’s National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Earlier this year, Person spoke about his experiences as a Freedom Rider to about 350 CDP students and staff, and others, noting that the group “… didn’t know we were going to be successful, but we had to try.

“We just wanted to prove we were normal people, trying to do normal things,” he said.